JPH07213236A - Method for heating and cooking food and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a method for automatically controlling a process for heating and cooking foods by a gravimeter using a micro cell and to provide an apparatus therefor. CONSTITUTION:Legs 10 for installing a micro cell 91 of a weight sensor by a semiconductor strain gauge on the floor face are provided in an apparatus 1 for heating and cooking a food and water content of the food is continuously calculated from measured value of gravimeter, recorded and displayed and a heat source valve 3 of a jacket 21 of a heating kettle 2 is adjusted by the measured and detected signal to control the cooking process and the valve 3 is closed so as to finish the cooking process when the water content attains a prescribed value of the food and automatic operation is carried out so as to readily obtain the food having a definite water content.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically controlling the heating and simmering steps of foods by measuring the water content in the foods with a weight scale.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the processing and simmering process of foods using powders and liquids as raw materials, the raw materials are put into a heating pot, heated while being mixed and stirred, and simmered. Depending on the food to be processed, the progress of the simmering process is determined by the taste that is the characteristic of the food, that is, by the human taste, or by measuring sugar content, salt concentration, hydrogen ion concentration or water content, The end point of the simmering step is also judged by these measured values.

In the apparatus for the ripening process, among the characteristics of processing depending on the type of food, the measurement of the water content and the determination based on the measured value are the most important factors for the quality of food, so the measurement is performed. From the total weight of the raw materials and water content of the food cooked in the simmering equipment and its heating kettle, the water is boiled down as the simmering process progresses, and part of it evaporates to reduce the total weight. The ratio of and can be easily measured by weight.

To measure the weight, the whole of a simmering device composed of a heating pot, a stirrer installed therein, a heating source jacket, steam piping, etc. is placed on a weighing scale. If the scale is a spring scale, install the entire device on one scale. Put the raw material and water content of the food into the heating kettle, measure the total weight of the equipment and the raw materials and water, and calculate the weight of the food from the water content rate when the food is ready in advance. The steam is fed into the cooking stove to advance the cooking process, and when the weight reaches the value calculated while monitoring the weighing scale, the steam valve of the heating source is closed to end the cooking process.

In an electronically-measured weighing scale, a weight sensor is provided on a leg on which the apparatus is installed on the floor, and the total of detection signals from the sensors of the legs is obtained by the weighing scale to measure the weight. As shown in FIG. 4, the load cell of the weight sensor based on the resistance strain gauge includes two resistance strain gauges 4 on both sides of the beam 41 on which the weight 43 is applied.
2 is attached, and the two resistance wire strain gauges 42 appear as resistance value changes based on the shape change due to the strain of the thin resistance wire. Therefore, connect the two strain gauges as two pieces of resistance elements of the Wheatstone bridge circuit. , The strain of the beam 41 due to the weight 43 is added as a change in tension and pressure and detected as an output signal. Output voltage is 2m against applied voltage V
It is about V / V, and an output voltage of about 24 mV is obtained with an applied voltage of 12V. The load cell is installed by laying it on each leg installed on the floor of the simmering device, and the total weight of each leg is the weight of the entire simmering device. Therefore, the detection signal from each load cell is weighed at a short distance. Input to the adder of the meter and measure the weight from the added total.

The mixing, heating and simmering steps of the food are agitated in the double heating pot 2 having the jacket 21 in the simmering apparatus 1 in which the load cell 14 is installed as shown in FIG. A blade is provided, and raw materials for foods, seasonings and water are put into the heating pot 2. The high temperature steam generated by a heat source such as gas combustion or oil combustion is in the jacket 21.
It is fed into the inside to heat the heating kettle 2, and the food is constantly mixed and stirred by the stirring blade to proceed. Based on the weight signal from the load cell 14 attached to each leg 13 of the simmering device 1, the water content in the simmering process, the total weight of the raw materials of the food and the water put into the simmering device 1 and the heating kettle 2 are calculated. Weighing scale 15
From the measured value of, the water clogs and evaporates as the cooking process progresses, the water content gradually decreases, and it is calculated from the ratio of the water content to the raw material. 33 is driven and the valve 3 is closed to complete the simmering process. The total weight of the simmering device 1 and the water content of the food are recorded in the recorder 16 from the detection signal of the weight meter 15 during the simmering process to check the quality of the food.

[0007]

However, in the conventional measurement of the water content, the total weight of the heating pot, the raw materials of the food, and the water content is measured by the weight scale using the weight sensor of the load cell, and the aging process progresses. In the method and apparatus for calculating the water content, the water content is about 300 kg, and the water content is about 70% of 200%.
occupy kg. The amount of water that is boiled down and evaporated by the aging process is about 20%, and the weight change is 40 kg. Output of load cell is 2 with respect to weight of raw material and water
4 mV, 2-3 mV for 40 kg weight change
Therefore, the measurement of a minute voltage in the weighing scale is easily affected by the noise of the weight fluctuation due to the vibration in the ripening process while mixing and stirring, and there is a problem in the measurement accuracy. It is difficult to determine the water content.

Furthermore, since the output voltage of the load cell is small,
Since the load cell is installed on the leg of the simmer to measure the weight, the structure is complicated and the device is expensive, and it is difficult to newly install it on the simmer that is already in operation. It has drawbacks. Since the present invention uses a microcell using a semiconductor strain gauge as a weight sensor for weighing, the sensitivity is 50 times or more that of a conventional resistance strain gauge, so that the output voltage with respect to weight change is large and noise such as noise is generated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which are less susceptible to influences, are easy to measure, and therefore have high accuracy and can obtain a boiled and processed product having a constant quality.

Regarding the semiconductor strain gauge, Jikken Sho 40-18
As disclosed in No. 91, a P-type or N-type crystal element utilizing the piezoresistive effect of a semiconductor crystal can be used together with a member subject to strain to reverse the resistance change due to strain. -Type and N-type crystal elements are attached to the same surface of a strained member, and two crystal elements are connected to a half bridge to double the sensitivity, and the structure of the microcell itself is simple. It is a small, highly sensitive sensor. Since the microcell need only be easily attached to any structural member that supports the simmering device with a bolt, has a simple structure and is highly accurate, it solves the problems of the conventional load cell.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the weight of food materials and water put in a heating pot equipped with a mixing and stirring device is detected by a microcell of a weight sensor using a semiconductor strain gauge to detect the water content. The rate is measured with a gravimetric scale, and the moisture content of the food during the cooking process is continuously recorded and displayed by the detection signal of the weighing scale, and the cooking process is controlled, and when the moisture content reaches a predetermined value. An automatic simmering operation is performed so that a completion signal is output to complete the simmering process.

Further, a microcell of a weight sensor using a semiconductor strain gauge is attached to the leg of the simmering device of a heating pot equipped with a mixing / stirring device for heating and simmering food materials and water. Based on the detection signal, the process controller measures the weight of the food in the cooking process, records and displays it, calculates the water content of the food, and controls the cooking process.
The heating and simmering device is configured to perform an automatic simmering operation so that an end signal is output and the simmering step is completed when the water content reaches a predetermined value.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a simmering apparatus according to the present invention, a microcell of a weighing scale, a process controller and its control system diagram, and FIG. The figure is shown. The heating cauldron 2 is a double cauldron equipped with a jacket 21 on the outside of the lower part, and high temperature steam is sent from a boiler (not shown) to the inside of the jacket 21 through a pipe 31, and steam whose amount of steam is adjusted by a valve 3 passes through a pipe 32. It is sent and the heating pot 2 is heated. Inside the heating kettle 2, a stirrer 8 having a stirring blade 83 is installed on a horizontal shaft 81 which is supported by the left and right casings 61 and 62 holding the entire heating kettle 2 and penetrates through the central portion, and the stirring machine 8 is a left casing. It is driven and rotated by the electric motor 7 in the body 61 through the speed reducer 71. The stirring blade 83 has a shaft 81.
A Teflon (a type of fluorocarbon resin, trade name) blade is attached to the tip of the arm 82 fixed to the above, and the entire surface of the circumferential bottom wall inside the heating pot 2 is swept to allow food to be cooked during the cooking process. Has a structure to prevent the sticking to the bottom wall.

High-temperature steam generated by a boiler (not shown) is sent to the jacket 21 through a pipe 31, a valve controller motor 33 is controlled by a process controller 9 of a weight meter described later, and the amount of steam is controlled by a valve 3 which is continuously opened and closed. It is adjusted and sent. Since the lower part of the heating pot 2 is uniformly covered with the jacket 21, the lower part of the heating pot 2 is uniformly heated, and the heating temperature is controlled by the amount of steam fed.

An exhaust pipe 51 having a steam discharge valve (steam trap) 5 is installed in the jacket 21 to prevent an abnormally high pressure in the jacket 21 and to automatically discharge water liquefied from steam. It is like this. A microcell 91 of a weight sensor using a semiconductor strain gauge is attached to the side surface with a bolt 92 on the leg 10 for installing the simmering apparatus 1 on the floor surface, and a signal from the microcell 91 of each leg 10 is connected to the process controller 9. The micro cell 91 and the process controller 9 are integrated to form a weighing scale,
The weight of the simmering device 1 is calculated by the process controller 9 as the sum of the detection signals detected by the microcell 91 of each leg 10, the moisture content is obtained, and the steam sent into the jacket 21 by the control signal of the process controller 9 The valve opening / closing motor 33 is controlled to open / close the valve 3 to control the simmering process, and the moisture content of the food during the simmering process is recorded by the recorder 93.
It is configured to record and display in.

In the simmering apparatus 1 in the simmering process using the heating kettle 2 configured as described above, the food is boiled by powdering the raw materials of the food, liquid and seasonings. It is charged from the upper charging port 12, the electric motor 7 is driven, and the stirring blades 83 are rotated to mix and stir the raw materials. Process controller 9 based on the detection signal of the microcell 91 by operating the weight scale
Valve opening / closing motor 3 based on the instruction of the measured value of the water content of
3 is controlled to open / close the valve 3, the amount of steam from the boiler is adjusted and fed into the jacket 21, and the heating pot 2 is heated to advance the ripening process. During the cooking process, the ingredients of the food are heated, mixed with the seasoning, and the water is boiled while stirring, some evaporates and the water content of the food changes. When the water content reaches a predetermined value determined in advance depending on the type of food, the valve 3 is closed by the control signal based on the instruction of the process controller 9, and the simmering process is completed.

When the heating source in the jacket 21 is a heating and simmering device using an electric heater, the electric power of the electric heater is automatically controlled by a control signal from the process controller 9.
It goes without saying that it can be applied to the same automatic boiling operation.

[0017]

The method for heating and simmering food according to the present invention comprises mixing,
The moisture content of the food in the heating kettle equipped with a stirrer is measured and displayed by the weight scale of the microcell weight sensor using the semiconductor strain gauge, and the heating and ripening process is automatically operated by the control signal. Since the simmering process is terminated when the content reaches a predetermined value, a highly sensitive and highly accurate microcell is used, so that the water content that is important for food management is constant for finished products. The effect that the quality of water can be easily obtained, and more accurate weight measurement is possible and an accurate content of water can be obtained than the one in which the water content is converted from the weight measurement by the load cell of the conventional resistance wire strain gauge. Is to demonstrate.

The microcell has a small size and a simple structure and is easily attached to the device. Therefore, the device can be constructed at low cost and can be easily added to the device. . In addition, in some cases, when the operator samples and measures the food in the heating pot to confirm the quality, which is conventionally done, the measurement takes time and the control of the simmering process is delayed, resulting in excessive simmering. It was difficult to prevent foreign matter from entering from the outside due to opening and closing of the heating pot to remove the sample, but in the method and apparatus of the present invention, sample measurement is not necessary, and therefore food It also has an excellent effect that it can be manufactured hygienically, which is an important factor of quality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ripening device of the present invention, a microcell of a weighing scale and a process controller, and a control system diagram thereof.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cooking apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of a conventional cooking device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a load cell using a resistance strain gauge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Boiler-ripening device 2 Heating pot 21 Jacket 3 Valve 7 Electric motor 8 Stirrer 83 Stirring blade 9 Process controller 91 Microcell 93 Recorder 10 legs

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The weight of food material and water put in a heating pot equipped with a mixing and stirring device is detected by a microcell of a weight sensor by a semiconductor strain gauge, and the water content is measured by a weigher. The moisture content of the food during the cooking process is continuously recorded and displayed by the detection signal of the weighing scale, the cooking process is controlled, and when the moisture content reaches a predetermined value, an end signal is output and the cooking process is completed. A heating and aging method for foods, characterized in that an automatic aging operation is performed so as to complete the process. 2. A leg provided with a simmering device of a heating pot, which is equipped with a mixing and stirring device, for simmering food materials and water by heating,
Attach a micro cell of a weight sensor by a semiconductor strain gauge, measure, record, and display the weight of food in the aging process with a process controller by the detection signal of the micro cell,
The moisture content of the food is calculated, the cooking process is controlled, and when the moisture content reaches a predetermined value, an end signal is output and an automatic cooking operation is performed to complete the cooking process. A device for heating and boiling foods.